Affordable Catering Ideas for Event Planners on A Budget
Ever had “hangry” guests at an event? Well, it ain’t pretty.
Trust us, you don’t want to have your guests feeling like the minutes are hours and the headline act is torture for their bellies.
So having great food is a must.
The catch: Catering costs can spiral quickly. If you’re not careful, food and drink can eat away at a huge chunk of your event budget.
Eventbrite is home to hundreds of thousands of event creators always figuring out new ways to feed the masses without breaking the bank — and we want to share some of those affordable catering ideas with you in this guide.
Table of contents
- Rent out food trucks
- Set up a buffet
- Make sure your guest numbers are precise
- Choose a cost-effective cuisine for your menu
- Portion your food like a sushi master
- Introduce food in windows
- Scale back the drinks menu at your open bar
- Set up self-serve stations
- Use seasonal ingredients to glow up cheaper dishes
- Set up grazing tables
Cooking + Comedy / Get in the Kitchen! / Chicago, IL
How much should you budget for catering costs?
When you think of “event catering,” the first image that probably springs to mind is a plated dinner in a big banquet hall.
You know the drill: 150 people chatting away loudly while a never-ending stream of serving staff bring out identical plates one table at a time. On average, caterers say a three-course plated dinner will cost you $70–85 per head.
But there are tons of different types of catering and different factors that impact cost:
- The type of event you’re hosting
- How many guests will be eating
- Your event location
- The menu
- The serving method
- Staff requirements
- Venue facilities
- Your audience’s expectations
To create a successful food and drink event, you need a firm understanding of these requirements so you can communicate your needs to catering teams and get a reliable quote. To get the cheapest catering options, you’ve got to be flexible, plan carefully, and not be afraid to tinker with your event format or management a tiny bit.
10 Affordable catering ideas when you’re on a budget
Even if you’re already halfway through organizing your event, there are plenty of ways you can reduce the overall cost of your event catering so it doesn’t blow your budget.
To help you get started, here are 10 pro tips proven to make catering costs more affordable.
Day Trill / Stay Silent / Providence, RI
1. Rent out food trucks
Hiring food trucks is one of the easiest ways to feed a large crowd on a tight catering budget.
Food trucks carry a quirky vibe because they’re out-of-the-ordinary, which translates into a fun and festive atmosphere for your guests. Just look at Purple Oak Events & D Fake Chef’s Test Kitchen- Holiday Taco Edition for how to do food trucks the right way.
According to the Food Trucks Association of Los Angeles (FTALA), the average food truck charges $15–40 per head. Even if you’re on the high end of that scale, you’ll still probably come in at less than half the price of a traditional plated dinner.
2. Set up a buffet
To plate up tasty dishes for your event guests without the formality of a seated dinner, host a self-serve buffet.
At anywhere from $25–70 per head, buffets cost you less than a plated meal. Buffets require fewer staff and resources, as you can prepare food offsite.
You also empower your event attendees with more food choices, and buffets are great at any time of day.
3. Make sure your guest numbers are precise
You know exactly how much food you’ll need when you’ve got accurate registration numbers. That means you can order fewer ingredients — reducing expenditure and also reducing the amount of waste you’re generating in uneaten food.
4. Choose a cost-effective cuisine for your menu
Fancy dishes, like filet mignon, always sound great on a menu. But if you want to feed a crowd without breaking the bank, you need to find the balance between a simple cuisine that costs less without cheapening the experience for guests.
5. Portion your food like a sushi master
One of the easiest ways to waste money on catering is by dishing out oversized portions. Sometimes, less is more, so you should bear in mind the recommended serving sizes for meals and portion them accordingly.
6. Introduce food in windows
Another way to reduce catering costs is to scale back your food service by limiting food availability to one or two time slots.
7. Scale back the drinks menu at your open bar
Open bars can be a lot of fun for guests — but costly for event creators. Fortunately, there are several party planning hacks you can use to limit your bar menu to lower costs without being a party pooper.
8. Set up self-serve stations
If you’re worried about staff expenses, self-serve stations are a great way to feed guests without hiring waiting staff.
9. Use seasonal ingredients to glow up cheaper dishes
Sometimes, the most affordable catering menus aren’t the most exciting. But an easy way to elevate your dishes is to add some fresh and succulent seasonal ingredients.
10. Set up grazing tables
Instead of setting up a huge hearty meal for your guests, you can set up grazing tables filled with many smaller snacks.
Hungry for event success?
There are so many affordable catering ideas for you to choose from. If you’re smart about your menu, portioning, and setup, you can create fantastic meals, even on a humble budget.